Pyrolysis Processes for Upgrading a Hydrocarbon Feed

Abstract

Processes for upgrading a hydrocarbon for a predetermined period of time. The process can include determining an amount of one or more contaminant-containing compositions that will be present in a pyrolysis effluent based, at least in part, on a composition of a hydrocarbon feed to be steam cracked, a temperature the hydrocarbon feed will be heated at during steam cracking, a residence time the hydrocarbon feed will be heated at the temperature during steam cracking, or a combination thereof. In some examples, the process can also include taking one or more steps to allow the hydrocarbon feed to be steam cracked for at least as long as a predetermined period of time, controlling process conditions within one or more separation stages to favor certain product compositions, introducing a predetermined amount of one or more agents into various locations of the process, or any combination thereof.

1 . A process for upgrading a hydrocarbon, comprising:
 determining an amount of methanol that will be present in a steam cracker effluent based, at least in part, on a composition of a hydrocarbon feed to be steam cracked, a temperature the hydrocarbon feed will be heated at during steam cracking, a residence time the hydrocarbon feed will be heated at the temperature during steam cracking, or a combination thereof; and   introducing a sufficient amount of a first sorbent into a first methanol sorbent unit to allow the first methanol sorbent unit to process a depropanizer overhead that is to be separated from the steam cracker effluent for at least as long as a predetermined period of time without requiring replacement or re-activation of the first sorbent due to saturation caused by methanol present in the depropanizer overhead.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 steam cracking a hydrocarbon feed comprising methanol to produce a steam cracker effluent comprising cracked hydrocarbons and methanol;   separating a process gas comprising methanol, ethane, ethylene, propane, and propylene from the steam cracker effluent;   separating the depropanizer overhead from the process gas; and   introducing the depropanizer overhead into the first methanol sorbent unit for at least as long as the predetermined period of time and recovering a treated depropanizer overhead.   
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein the treated depropanizer overhead comprises less methanol than the depropanizer overhead. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 introducing a sufficient amount of a second sorbent into a second methanol sorbent unit to allow the second methanol sorbent unit to process a deethanizer bottoms that is to be separated from the treated depropanizer overhead for at least as long as the predetermined period of time without requiring replacement or re-activation of the second sorbent due to saturation caused by methanol present in the deethanizer bottoms;   separating the deethanizer bottoms from the treated depropanizer overhead; and   introducing the deethanizer bottoms into the second methanol sorbent unit for at least as long as the predetermined period of time.   
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 separating a naphtha cut comprising pygas, water, and methanol from the steam cracker effluent, wherein an amount of methanol in the naphtha cut is greater than an amount of methanol in the process gas;   separating a pygas product and an aqueous mixture comprising methanol from the naphtha cut;   contacting the aqueous mixture with steam to heat the aqueous mixture and produce a vapor phase product and a liquid phase product; and   condensing at least a portion of the vapor phase product to produce a process water, wherein >50% of the methanol contained in the steam cracker effluent is present in the process water, and wherein <50% of the methanol contained in the steam cracker effluent is present in the process gas.   
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the first sorbent and the second sorbent are each an adsorbent. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the first sorbent and the second sorbent each comprises at least one metal from Group 1, 10, or 11 of the periodic table of elements or an oxide thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined period of time is at least 5 days. 
     
     
         9 . A process for upgrading a hydrocarbon, comprising:
 steam cracking a hydrocarbon feed comprising methanol to produce a steam cracker effluent comprising cracked hydrocarbons and methanol;   separating a process gas and a naphtha cut from the steam cracker effluent, wherein the process gas comprises ethylene, propylene, and ≤40 wt. % of the methanol in the steam cracker effluent, and wherein the naphtha cut comprises ≥60 wt. % of the methanol in the steam cracker effluent;   separating a pygas product and an aqueous mixture from the naphtha cut, wherein the aqueous mixture comprises ≥95 wt. % of the methanol in the naphtha cut;   contacting the aqueous mixture with steam to produce a vapor phase product comprising ≥80 wt. % of the methanol in the aqueous mixture and a liquid phase product comprising ≤20 wt. % of the methanol in the aqueous mixture;   cooling at least a portion of the vapor phase product to produce a first waste water, wherein ≥50 wt. % of the methanol contained in the steam cracker effluent is present in the first process water.   
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 9 , wherein the hydrocarbon feed comprises a desalted crude oil derived from a raw crude oil comprising methanol, and wherein the desalted crude oil comprises about 60 wt. % to about 80 wt. % of the methanol present in the raw crude oil. 
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein a mass flow rate of the first process water removed from the process is about 1% to about 100% of a mass flow rate of the vapor phase product. 
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 9 , wherein a mass flow rate of the first process water removed from the process is about 5% to about 10% of a mass flow rate the aqueous mixture separated from the naphtha cut. 
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 9 , further comprising;
 heating the liquid phase product to produce dilution steam; and   separating a second process water from the dilution steam, wherein ≤50 wt. % of the methanol contained in liquid phase product is present in the second process water.   
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the first process water removed from the process comprises about 20 wt. % to about 65 wt. % of the methanol contained in the steam cracker effluent,   the second process water comprises about 1 wt. % to about 15 wt. % of the methanol contained in the steam cracker effluent, and   the process gas comprises about 25 wt. % to about 35 wt. % of the methanol contained in the steam cracker effluent.   
     
     
         15 . A process for upgrading a hydrocarbon, comprising:
 steam cracking a hydrocarbon feed to produce a steam cracker effluent comprising acetone;   separating a process gas and a naphtha boiling range stream from the steam cracker effluent, wherein the process gas comprises a first portion of the acetone, C 2  hydrocarbons, C 3  hydrocarbons, C 4  hydrocarbons, and C 5  hydrocarbons, and wherein the naphtha boiling range stream comprises a second portion of the acetone, pygas, and water;   contacting the process gas with an aqueous amine, an aqueous inorganic base, or an aqueous amine and an aqueous inorganic base to produce a first process water comprising a third portion of the acetone and an upgraded process gas comprising a fourth portion of the acetone, wherein an amount of the third portion of acetone in the first process water is greater than an amount of the fourth portion of acetone in the upgraded process gas;   separating a depropanizer bottoms from the upgraded process gas, wherein the depropanizer bottoms comprises the fourth portion of acetone, the C 4  hydrocarbons, and the C 5  hydrocarbons;   introducing the depropanizer bottoms into a debutanizer; and   recovering a debutanizer overhead comprising the C 4  hydrocarbons and a debutanizer bottoms comprising the C 5  hydrocarbons from the debutanizer, wherein process conditions within the debutanizer are controlled to cause ≥60 wt. % of the acetone in the depropanizer bottoms to exit the debutanizer with the debutanizer bottoms.   15a. hydroprocessing the debutanizer bottoms to produce a hydrogenated product.   
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 15 , further comprising, contacting the debutanizer overhead with an aqueous caustic solution to produce a caustic treated overhead and a water purge, wherein the water purge comprises at least a portion of any acetone in the debutanizer overhead. 
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 15 , wherein the process conditions within the debutanizer are controlled to cause ≥67 wt. % of the acetone in the depropanizer bottoms to exit the debutanizer with the debutanizer bottoms. 
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 15 , wherein the amount of acetone in the first process water is ≥55 wt. %, based on a total weight of acetone in the process gas. 
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 15 , wherein the debutanizer overhead comprises butadiene, and wherein at least a portion of the butadiene is removed by contacting the debutanizer overhead with an extraction solvent comprising dimethylforamide, acetonitrile, N-methyl pyrolidone, or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 separating a pygas product and an aqueous mixture from the naphtha boiling range stream contacting the aqueous mixture with steam to produce a vapor phase product;   cooling at least a portion of the vapor phase product to produce a first process water; and   removing the first process water from the process, wherein ≥50 wt. % of the acetone contained in aqueous mixture is present in the second process water.   
     
     
         21 . A process for upgrading a hydrocarbon, comprising:
 determining an amount of phenol that will be present in a steam cracker effluent based, at least in part, on a composition of a hydrocarbon feed to be steam cracked, a temperature the hydrocarbon feed will be heated at during steam cracking, a residence time the hydrocarbon feed will be heated at the temperature during steam cracking, or a combination thereof;   steam cracking the hydrocarbon feed to produce a steam cracker effluent;   separating a process gas and a naphtha boiling range stream from the overhead, wherein the naphtha boiling range stream comprises a pygas, water, and phenol;   separating a pygas product and an aqueous mixture comprising the phenol from the naphtha boiling range stream; and   contacting the aqueous mixture with a predetermined amount of a dispersant to produce a treated aqueous mixture, wherein the predetermined amount of dispersant is sufficient to maintain the aqueous mixture in the form of a solution comprising the phenol.   
     
     
         22 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the hydrocarbon feed comprises a desalted crude oil derived from a raw crude oil comprising methanol, and wherein the desalted crude oil comprises about 60 wt. % to about 80 wt. % of the methanol present in the raw crude oil. 
     
     
         23 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the dispersant comprises a non-ionic emulsion breaker. 
     
     
         24 . The process of  claim 23 , wherein the dispersant is used at an amount from 25 to 500 ppm by weight, based on the total weight of the aqueous mixture. 
     
     
         25 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon feed has a total acid number of ≥0.5 mg KOH/g of hydrocarbon feed, as measured according to ASTM D664-18e2.